CT

CT marked RSNA 2007 as the most exciting gathering for radiologists in recent history. But there was plenty happening outside of CT, too.

The deepening crisis, then sudden resolution of a medical isotope shortage brought drama, as a cryptic message from Agfa’s board of directors added mystery to the holiday season.Canadian reactor ramps up to renew supply of technetiumPhilips prepares to move into digital mammography“Care areas” characterize GE approach to ultrasound Siemens introduces new premium-class ultrasound scannerCommentary: Trouble-prone Chalk River haunts medical community: When will we learn?

After a year of hearings and deliberations, the National Academies of Science has recommended that the U.S. government recommit financially to the advancement of nuclear medicine science.

Researchers have found that a 360 degrees virtual dissection CT colonography postprocessing technique equals the diagnostic accuracy of 2D axial imaging for colon cancer screening.

A 10-year study of imaging volume demands on a PACS at the Medical University of South Carolina shows how significant a factor multislice CT has become in image data storage.

The SNM is ratcheting up political pressure on Congress to restore $20 million in Department of Energy research funding that it considers crucial to the survival of nuclear medicine.

The first drop in recent memory in demand for nuclear medicine served as the backdrop for pending advances.Features: Nuc med volume falls in 2006, show partial rebound this year Spectrum Dynamics prepares new gamma camera for market Calibration tool ensures proper radionuclide dose MR scores advance in body imaging Q&A: Consultant, manager-or both?

Next month Spectrum Dynamics will begin shipping its long-awaited D-SPECT Cardiac imaging product, featuring solid-state cadmium-zinc-telluride detectors and proprietary image reconstruction techniques that cut the time typically needed to do a SPECT heart scan by 75% or more. The Danville, CA-based company will target high-volume private cardiac labs and hospitals that put a premium on throughput and image quality.

Take heed nuc med labs. The British have come up with a smashing idea: an instrument that allows medical physicists to make sure the instruments they use to check the doses of radioactive compounds are themselves accurate.

Digesting the mediocre performance by Philips Medical in the third quarter, financial analysts peppered Pierre-Jean Sivignon, chief financial officer of Koninklijke Philips Electronics, with questions about the company’s plans for the upcoming RSNA. They were looking for reasons to believe the CFO’s assertions that Philips’ financials would soon improve.

The Deficit Reduction Act has undercut reimbursements for outpatient centers, ripening the market for consolidation -- and RadNet has been harvesting. The company last week acquired Liberty Pacific MRI of Encino for $2.8 million, the fourth California imaging center RadNet has bought in little more than a month.

The worst effects from the Deficit Reduction Act may be over, according to GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt. But Pierre-Jean Sivignon, chief financial officer of Koninklijke Philips Electronics, has some reservations.

Patients with mesothelioma, a disease of the lung lining caused by exposure to asbestos, may someday benefit from a new 3D PET measure that helps accurately and quickly measure response to chemotherapy, according to a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

It was a tumultuous week, marked by displaced products and industry execs. Features: The MR market shows signs of a rebound; DI SCAN explains why CT is struggling. Nuance acquired Commissure and spread its corporate focus from transcription to decision making. MicroMaxx dropped a peg in the SonoSite portfolio as M-Turbo was added to the mix, signaling a renewed emphasis by the company on point-of-care ultrasound. Ultrasound shapes and contours its way into “aesthetic medicine.”

Rule changes slated for adoption by Medicare could be a factor when choosing the type of CT scanner to buy. The changes are part of an effort to diagnose patients earlier.

CT vendors came off the best sales year in their history in 2006, generating $1.75 billion in U.S. sales from new equipment. But they have little to be happy about now.

Cleveland Clinic hails dual-source CT, image fusionFDA clears Hitachi 1.2T open MR scannerRenal test enters radiology point of careFlat panel boosts dental scan timesBiopharm company adds manufacturing plantCanadian health system selects IDCGM-I places preclinical PETsBrit Systems taps sales VP

E-Z-EM revels in ACRIN resultsAquarius to strut at RSNA 2007Fonar revenues rise, losses fallMerge rallies usersVarian recruits Stanford oncologist

The sudden and precipitous drop in demand for CT scanners during 2007 has translated into lower prices across the board, slamming corporate bottom lines but producing some unexpected positive results.

Questions remain from practitioners, payers, and administrators regarding the economic impact of coronary CT angiography on established diagnostic modalities and the effects on reimbursement within imaging. To address these concerns, we have developed the CCTA Data Registry, which now consists of more than 20,000 cases. Preliminary results indicate that coronary CTA is being utilized appropriately and affects savings for the healthcare system.

This year, the first sites in the world will begin using Philips Medical Systems' newly minted BrightView family of gamma cameras. The compact dual-head product shines at the high end of the company's nuclear medicine portfolio in performance and versatility. But it need not be the most powerful gamma camera in the hospital or clinic.

A blue ribbon panel convened by the National Academies of Science recommends after a year of hearings and deliberations that the U.S. government recommit itself to the advancement of nuclear medicine science.

X-ray tubes that encircle the patient could make mechanical CT systems obsolete in several years, if the hopes of executives at Xintek and Siemens Medical Solutions are realized.

Siemens extends Dade Behring offerDeJarnette notches milestoneGM-I promotes execsUltraShape gains $15.1M in new financing

CADCOLON serves ItalyVarian network links six U.K. hospitals

One of the most interesting topics in science today is the relationship between the mind and the brain. Its study is being propelled particularly by the use of nuclear medicine imaging, and this theme was echoed throughout the 2007 SNM meeting.

Medrad upgrades CT power injectorCarestream readies IT oncology showingCarestream signs Canadian supply dealEDAP swings into the black in 2Q

Vendors have employed a multitude of approaches to cut patient radiation dose by making data acquisition and analysis more efficient. Software has been developed to adjust dose to fit different body types and segments. Methods to factor in body weight, particularly when scanning children, have been considered. Step-and-shoot protocols have been devised to eliminate the overlap that comes from spiral scanning.

Cardiac CT angiography holds the key to finding diseases outside of the coronary arteries -- if, that is, diagnosticians are willing to look.

Competitors to x-ray mammography may be mounting a serious challenge to the long-standing technology. Research has determined that MR and nuclear medicine can detect ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which can develop into an invasive form of breast cancer, much earlier than mammography can.